


I Was Broken

by Deannachu



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Mute!Gavin, deaf!Michael
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deannachu/pseuds/Deannachu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael Jones has been deaf almost his entire life, and he's used to it. But when Gavin Free, the new student who has been a mute since he was thirteen, is paired with Michael on a critical project, the unlikely pair may just find the courage to tackle the the struggles that they've been too scared to fight alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Was Broken

**Author's Note:**

> I am terrible at summaries, and this fic has been a work in progress for a long time, but I will say that this is probably the longest one-shot I've ever written, so go me.

The hallways were crammed with students, laughing and talking excitedly to one another before their first class. The sound was loud and vibrant and, on a good day, Michael could almost hear the vibrating enthusiasm from the students around him.

But, Michael was still deaf, and he would never hear the distinguishing voices, no matter how hard he tried. So today, just like any other day, he floated in between his classmates, ignoring the ever-present pointed fingers and words that accompanied them. No matter how many times he wrote it down, typed it, or had his friend Lindsay translate, they still were too dense to realize that he has almost fourteen years of lip-reading experience under his belt. He was deaf, not stupid.

He gathered his books at his locker and felt a tug at his jacket. Lindsay stood next to him, fresh faced and bright eyed, as always. Michael rolled his eyes but grinned at the excitement rolling off of her in waves.  _I don't know how we're friends. You're all put together in the morning and I barely make it out the door in time to catch my bus,_ Michael signed jokingly. Lindsay leaned in to his jacket and took an exaggerated sniff. 

_Well, at least you remembered to take a shower this morning,_ she responded. The two began walking towards Michael's first period: Creative Writing. He shifted his backpack and hesitated before raising his hands.

_Mom brought up the hearing aides conversation again._ Lindsay frowned and shook her head. 

_I love your mother, but can't she just see you're doing fine without them?_

Michael sighed.  _She's just worried about me. She wants me to be able to go to college and get a degree like her and get a good job, but she doesn't believe I can do that unless I can hear,_ he explained. 

_It's different than when she was in school, though,_ Lindsay argued.  _People today are more accepting of people with disabilities, and schools are more willing to provide assistance._ They had arrived at the classroom, and Michael saw a boy that he shared a few classes with, Kerry, already sitting at the desk beside his own. 

_I'll see you at lunch,_ Michael signed, giving Lindsay a hug before entering class. Most of Michael's classes included an instructor or a student who knew sign language and could help translate for Michael whenever he couldn't keep up with lip reading, or when the teacher couldn't use his hands (such as his Chemistry class, which was a pain in the ass,) so being the only deaf student in a school of hearing kids wasn't as bad as it seemed. 

Michael passed a few students on the way to his desk, and as usual he ignored the stares and the looks of pity that accompanied the whole deaf thing. He noticed one guy - what was his name... Jacob? - call him a loser to the girl he was chatting with, and his fists curled with anger at his sides; but he did nothing, throwing himself into his desk and giving Jacob the finger once his back was turned. Kerry tapped him on the shoulder.  _Just ignore him. You can't even hear and I bet you could get more girls than he could._

He shrugged and got out his notebook and pens, busying himself with his phone until the teacher came in the room. He scrolled through Twitter and Facebook and replied to a few texts from Lindsay before Mr. Burns arrived. He set the stack of books and papers he was carrying on the desk before speaking and signing to the class. Michael liked Mr. Burns for the very reason that the first day Michael was introduced to him, he made it his mission to learn sign language so he could keep up in class. 

"Alright class," Mr. Burns said, "I know you all remember that I said we were going to have a project in this class, and today is the day I'm going to assign it." Shoulders slumped all across the room and Kerry put his face in his hands. Michael snickered to himself. "Now, first-" The door to the class opened and every head turned, including Michael's. The principal walked in with a skinny kid trailing behind him. He had messy hair and a long nose, longer than any Michael had ever seen. The principal walked up to Mr. Burns and said something in his ear, to which he nodded and beckoned the kid to the front of the room. "This is Gavin Free," he spoke while signing for Michael. "He's a transfer student from England, and I want you all to give him a warm welcome." He bent down and said something to Gavin quietly, who nodded in response and began walking to the empty desk behind Michael. 

He felt Gavin sit down behind him and felt his leg moving underneath, shaking Michael's desk in the process. Kerry turned to introduce himself to Gavin, who nodded and smiled shyly in response. "So do you like it here so far?" Kerry asked, and Gavin shrugged. He saw Kerry turn and frown, eyeing Michael who signed,  _Not much of a talker, is he?_

"As I was saying, you're going to have a project due before Christmas break," Mr. Burns resumed, passing out a stack of papers to each row. It included the instructions and due date. "You and a partner - whom I will assign - are going to work together to create a story. I know that I've only taught you about fiction writing so far, but in your books there should be a chapter on creative non-fiction if you want to choose that route instead. Non-fiction is slightly easier to write than fiction, but it still requires a lot of work."

A girl near the door raised her hand. "What does the story need to be about?" Mr. Burns smiled.

"It says it on your paper, but I'm leaving the topic of the story up to you, as long as it's appropriate. You can combine past experiences to recreate a pivotal or embarrassing moment in your lives for a great non-fiction piece; you can create a new story using your imaginations and captivate us with your creativity. The possibilities are endless." He walked back to his desk and lifted up a sheet of paper. "Now, when I call your pairings out, go sit by your partner and take the rest of the class time to brainstorm and jot down ideas."

Michael zoned out, focused on a spot on the white board that Mr. Burns forgot to erase. His moving hands became a blur until he recognized his name being signed. "Michael Jones, your partner will be our new student, Gavin Free." Michael's eyes widened and he and Kerry stared at each other. 

_But we're always partnered up,_ Michael argued with Mr. Burns.  _Kerry is the only one who knows sign language in this class aside from you._

_Come see me after the period ends,_ Mr. Burns signed finally before finishing off the pairings. Michael felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, noticing a piece of paper near the edge of Gavin's desk. He opened it, reading what the new student had written.

> _I know I'm probably not the person you wanted to work with, but since we're stuck as partners, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Gavin Free._

Michael sighed quietly and picked up his pen, scribbling a response back.

> **Michael Jones. It's nice to meet you, Gavin.**

Gavin read Michael's response and gave Michael a small smile, to which Michael realized his stomach started to feel a little funny and it became a little warm around his face. 

> _Dude, you okay? Your face just got really red,_ Kerry signed, a look of concern on his face. Michael shrugged it off. 
> 
> _Yeah, I'm alright. It just is kind of warm in here, that's all._

Kerry gazed at him skeptically before shrugging and turning back to his partner, an energetic kid named Miles who was always nice to Michael whenever they would pass each other in the hallway. Miles was explaining a really exciting story idea to Kerry and waving his hands around everywhere, a look of joy permanently etched in his eyes and his smile. Kerry laughed at something he said, which Michael didn't quite catch. Gavin pushed the paper towards him again.

> _Did you have any ideas about what we could write about, Michael?  I have a couple, but I want to hear yours first._
> 
> **I'm not really that creative, honestly, so I don't think I've got any ideas right now that I could write about.**
> 
> _What about... never mind._
> 
> **What, Gavin?**
> 
> _I was going to say... have you ever thought about writing down your experience as someone who is deaf?_

Michael froze, reading the words over and over again in his mind. He  _had_ thought about it, actually, but who would want to read the bitching and moaning of a kid who can't even remember what his mother's voice sounds like? His father's? He shook his head and scratched out a reply, accidentally ripping a small hole in the paper in his burst of bitterness.

> **No one would care, Gavin. If I wrote down what it feels like to walk around every single day and know that I'm being picked on and made fun of, but being unable to do anything about it, I would just get bullied even more than I already do.**

Gavin's mouth opened slightly, a look of sympathy on his face. He locked eyes with Michael who scoffed and turned back around, not wanting the new kid to adopt the same pitying stare that almost everyone else in the school had. He didn't hand Michael the note again until it was time to switch classes. As he passed Michael he dropped the note on his desk and gave him a parting smile before exiting the room. Michael unfolded the note and stared at the line underneath his own messy handwriting.

> _I would care._

His heart jumped into his throat and he felt the back of his eyes burn slightly at the emotion beginning to well up inside of him. Before he had time to really acknowledge it, Mr. Burns waved him up to his desk. He packed up his things and slung his pack over his right shoulder, stopping in front of the man. He raised his hands.

_The reason I paired you up with Gavin, and not Mr. Shawcross, is because Gavin's mute, Michael. I thought it might be easier to communicate between you two if neither one of you could talk, that way miscommunication would be less likely._ He paused before continuing.  _I don't want you to bother him about this, either. Let him tell you why he's mute in his own time._

_I'm not some inconsiderate prick, Mr. Burns,_ Michael scathingly signed.  _Of course I'll respect his privacy, just as I know he'll respect mine._

_Just look out for him, okay, Michael?_ Mr. Burns asked.  _The students here are used to you, and I'm not quite sure how they'll react to Gavin. He will be able to hear everything they say about him, but he won't be able to verbally stand up for himself. Just be there for him._

Michael nodded and left the classroom, noticing Gavin standing in the middle of the hallway staring at a piece of paper, looking lost as ever. He opened his mouth to call out to passing students, probably to ask for help, but then he would close it and stare again at the sheet. He sighed and walked towards Gavin, glaring at a few students who were laughing at him behind their hands, and took the schedule from his hands. He scanned it and noticed that they had the same second period - Calculus. 

_Come on,_ Michael signed to Gavin, hoping he could read lips. When Gavin just stared at Michael in confusion, he rolled his eyes and took his arm, pulling him down the hallway.

* * *

 

For neither boy being able to speak a work, Michael and Gavin got along well with one another. Sure, there was still the ever present shyness, and the embarrassment whenever Gavin would open his mouth to speak and then shut it quickly, remembering he didn't speak. But the two communicated almost effortlessly, primarily through notes but by lunch time Michael was showing Gavin a few simple signs. 

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kerry said, setting his tray down on their lunch table. Miles trailed behind him and waved to Michael before taking a seat next to Kerry. Usually Lindsay would already be present at the table, but she had a Yearbook meeting to attend to. "You're Gavin right? I'm Kerry, nice to meet you," he addressed Gavin, throwing him a friendly smile. Gavin looked up from his french fries to throw a timid smile at Kerry, but returned to staring at his food right after.  _What's up with him?_

Michael shrugged.  _Probably just first day shyness. I know I had it really badly when I started here, remember?_ Kerry nodded and turned towards Miles, who had brought out their sheet from first period with their story ideas on it. Michael turned back to Gavin and frowned. He scrawled on the paper they had been passing back and forth and nudged him, sliding the paper his way. 

> **I mean, I know our French Fries aren't _that_ shitty, but I don't think they deserve to be stared at like they're the most interesting thing on the planet. **

Gavin chuckled to himself and rolled his eyes, handing the note back to him. 

> _I'm sorry. I'm just not very good at meeting new people, as you can probably tell..._

Michael hesitated before handing the note back. 

> **Because you can't talk, right?** Gavin nodded in lieu of replying via note. Michael snatched the paper back.  **At least you can hear, though. You can laugh at jokes without them having to be repeated, you can focus on someone talking to you instead of having to watch their hands or try to read their lips.**
> 
> _Yeah, but I can hear them making fun of me too, Michael. Sometimes I wish I couldn't hear at all. It hurts too much sometimes. That's why I was homeschooled for a year before I decided to try an American school. The kids in the UK aren't very kind._
> 
> **American students are just as cruel, Gav. Trust me on that.** Gavin shook his head and gave Michael a sad smile before picking at his food once again. Michael gave up and turned to Kerry.  _So what are you two idiots writing about?_

_Can't tell, it's a secret,_ Kerry laughed. 

_Yeah, Michael,_ Miles signed, surprisingly well, actually,  _you'll have to wait like the rest of the class._

_Since when did you learn to sign?_ Michael asked, his eyebrows raised. 

_Since we had American History together and no one in the class knew how to sign,_ he responded. Michael remembered that class well. The teacher refused to learn sign language, claiming that Michael was probably just faking being deaf and he could hear just fine. The only reason Michael passed his class was because he had a few friends in there who took really good notes. The teacher didn't return the following year, thank God.

Lunch ended, and all four boys scattered in different directions. Michael showed Gavin where his theater class was - _Theater?_ he signed. Gavin shrugged and pulled out their note.  _I'm hoping they'll stick me behind the scenes, maybe working with cameras or lighting. I have a knack for that stuff... plus I needed my fine arts credit._ Michael grinned and waved to Gavin before heading to his next period, which was study hall. 

Mr. Heyman ran a pretty loose study hall, and only had three rules: don't get too loud, don't set anything on fire, and don't kill each other. Michael sat in his usual seat in the corner by the window and laid his head down on his desk. He was just starting to drift off when he felt his phone vibrate on his desk. He unlocked it and saw a text from Lindsay.

> **Lindsay Tuggey:** I didn't know you were partnered up with the new kid for your class!
> 
> **Michael Jones:** If you had been at lunch you would have, Miss Editor of the Yearbook.
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey:** Yeah, yeah. So how's the partnership going?
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Well, we pretty much sound like the beginning of a really bad joke. "So a deaf kid and a mute kid walk into a bar..."
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey:** Communication shouldn't be too difficult for you guys, right? Does he know any sign language?
> 
> **Michael Jones:** I taught him a little bit at lunch.
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey:** Michael Jones, did you teach him how to swear in sign language??
> 
> **Michael Jones:**...maybe.
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey!** MICHAEL!
> 
> **Michael Jones:** We communicate through notes more anyway, at least until he's been here long enough to pick up how to actually form sentences in sign language. 
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey:** Gotta go! See you after school!

Michael tucked his phone away and glanced around the room. Mr. Heyman was watching some video on his computer and grinning; there were kids napping, talking to one another, and a scarce few doing actually studying or homework. He hated not having any friends in study hall, but he just didn't see the point in having extracarriculars. Participation almost always requiring being able to hear, and Michael was shit out of luck in that department. 

_One more year,_ he thought to himself.  _I just have to finish this year and then get through next year and then I'll never have to deal with school ever again._

* * *

 

The rest of the school day flew by and saw Michael and Lindsay walking towards the exit, shifting their backpacks around their shoulders and talking about how a jock named Blaine completely butchered his monologue on stage.  _I swear he's only in there because he has to be,_ Lindsay signed, laughing. 

_Well yeah, he can't sing and I'm sure he can't draw, so the only other option was theater,_ Michael joked. 

_He looks so lost without a football in his hands!_

They walked outside and spotted Gavin sitting down on one of the benches, fiddling with his phone and looking around anxiously. He visibly relaxed when he saw Michael.  _What's wrong?_ Michael signed. 

Gavin typed something on his phone and handed it to Michael.  _Mum can't pick me up and I missed my bus._

"Where do you live, Gavin? I can take you home!" Lindsay said happily, smiling at the boy. He took his phone back and typed out his address, showing it to Lindsay. "That's right down the street from Michael. Come on, my car's this way."

Gavin looked at Michael who smiled at him and shrugged towards Lindsay, who had already started walking away. He stood up and swung his backpack around his shoulders and walked next to Michael. Their shoulders bumped and Gavin's face flushed bright red, but Michael made no indication that he saw, for his own heart begun beating slightly faster in response. 

The ride to their houses was silent - well, it was  _always_ silent, but it felt more still than normal - as Michael sat up front with Lindsay while Gavin sat in the back, hands in his lap as he looked out the window.  _I wonder if I should ask him to work on our project together... I mean, we have time, but getting to know him better might help once we actually start writing,_ Michael thought. 

He turned to Lindsay who glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.  _Ask Gavin if he wants to come over to my house to work on the project._ She stopped at a stop sign and turned around and asked Gavin, a smile on her face. His eyes brightened and he nodded eagerly, then blushed when he saw Michael turn around to look at him.  _Is that okay? Or would you rather go home?_ Gavin caught the signs for "okay" and "home" and quickly put together what Michael was asking and shook his head. He pulled out his phone and thumbed quickly across the screen, presumably sending a text to his mom. 

A few moments later, Lindsay pulled up to Michael's home, a small two-story sitting on the corner of the street. The two boys got out, said goodbye to Lindsay, and walked up to the door. Michael unlocked it and stepped inside. His mom turned her head from her place on the couch and smiled, her eyebrows raising in surprise at the appearance of Gavin.  _Hey, Michael. Who's this?_

_This is Gavin, he's new. We're assigned to do a project together for Mr. Burns's class. He's from England._ She got up from the couch and walked over to Gavin, pulling him into a hug, surprising the poor boy. Michael saw her speak to him and he only smiled in response. She began signing to him until Michael, embarrassed, stopped her.  _He's mute._

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," she signed/spoke. "I'm so used to having a teenager in the house who can't hear that I just... nevermind. Are you guys hungry?" Gavin looked like he was scared of Michael's mother, making him silently groan into his hands. 

_We'll be in my room, mom. Please don't scare this one away,_ he signed, clasping his hands together in a mock begging motion before dragging Gavin to his room. She rolled her eyes and sat back on the couch, unpausing whatever movie she was in the middle of watching. 

Once they were safely in his room, he threw his backpack on the bed and jumped across his messy bed. Gavin stood awkwardly in the doorway and Michael waved him in. He shuffled in and dumped his backpack near the door and sat gingerly in Michael's chair near his desk. Michael stared at him until he realized Gavin wasn't going to do anything with his prompting, so he got out his Creative Writing notebook and opened it to a clean page.  _So,_ he signed slowly, making sure to mouth the words so Gavin could keep up.  _Did you have an idea for the story, or should I just make up something?_

Gavin moved from the desk chair to Michael's bed, grabbing a pencil and writing on the page. 

> _I was thinking about it, and I think it would be pretty cool if we each tell our own story._
> 
> **What story?**
> 
> _My story about why I'm mute, and yours about what it's like being... you know..._
> 
> **Deaf?**
> 
> _I was going to say 'hearing impaired' but yes._
> 
> **I told you, no one is going to give a shit about my sob story.**
> 
> _I would. And Mr. Burns would. That's all that should matter, right? It's for a grade, not to make people like you. At least they'll understand you a little bit better, don't you think?_
> 
> **You haven't gone to the same school as them for the past 14 years, Gavin. You have no idea how cruel they were to me until the hype of me being deaf settled down. They don't give a shit about me.**
> 
> _What about Kerry? Or that Miles guy? Or Lindsay?_
> 
> **Kerry and Lindsay are the only two friends I have who I talk to on a regular basis. Others have tried but gave up learning sign language after like a week because they thought it was too difficult. Then they dropped me completely.**
> 
> _I had a best friend in England. His name was Dan. After I became mute, he... he stopped talking to me, started ignoring me. He doesn't acknowledge me at all anymore. He gave me an ultimatum: either I start talking again or he would have nothing to do with me. So I packed up and came to the States with my mum._
> 
> **So... if you don't mind me asking, what's your story? Why are you... why do you choose not to talk?**

 

There was a pause as Gavin's pencil hovered over the paper. He looked up at Michael and he saw in Gavin's eyes just how vulnerable he was at that moment. He was looking like he was having an inner struggle on whether or not to trust Michael with this incredibly private part of his life. Michael grabbed the pencil from him and wrote instead.

> **Bacterial infection. I was three. Some kid at the daycare my parents brought me to should have stayed home but he didn't, and I caught it, and it fucked up my ears. I don't remember what anything sounds like, not traffic, not animals, not... not even my mom's voice. My parents, I remember them fighting a lot because my dad didn't want to take me to the doctor; he thought it was some kind of cold and that I would eventually get over it. They divorced because of it.**
> 
> _My dad was murdered, right in front of me._ Michael's heart dropped as he stared at Gavin, his mouth open. Gavin's bottom lip started to tremble and his eyes became glassy.  _I was thirteen. Someone broke into our house to steal from us, and my dad got in the way and he... they... they just... they shot him, while me and mum were hiding. I screamed a lot, and cried... but after that, nothing would come out anymore. Mum took me to loads of doctors, psychologists, therapists... they told her the same thing: it was all in my head, that I could speak any time I wanted, that I just chose not to. But I... I've tried, Michael. And I can't. I'm broken._
> 
> **You... you are not broken, Gavin, just like I'm not broken. We... we just require a little more TLC than others, that's all.**

Gavin set the pencil down and threw himself at Michael throwing his arms around his neck. Michael could feel the boy crying into his shoulder and all he could do was wrap his arms around him and just use the comfort of his presence to settle him, because that's really the only thing needed at that moment. Michael had known Gavin less than a day, but he felt like he had known the boy most of his life. They were just two people with whom life had been selectively cruel, and they needed each other. They needed a friend who could relate in some way to the struggles they're going through in life. 

They sat like that until the light outside dimmed.

* * *

 

When Gavin finally left, Michael's mom confronted him about the conversation they had started earlier that morning.  _Now you just have another reason to get those hearing aides, Michael._

_Gavin is not a_ reason,  _mother, he's my_ friend.

_But if you could hear, maybe he would talk to you, or come out of his shell a little more, don't you think? Then you two could graduate, and go off to college..._

_I don't want to have this conversation,_ Michael signed angrily.  _You're the one who wants me to go to college, and I've told you countless times that I don't even want to go. I'll go to a technical school and learn to be something, like an electrician or some shit like that._

_Watch your language. Michael, you are not going to become an electrician._

_You can't tell me what I will and will not become, mom. When I graduate, I'm going to move out, that way I won't be such a fucking burden on you anymore. I'm sorry I'm not the perfect child you wanted, and I'm sorry I'm the reason you and dad split. Just tolerate me for another year and a half and I'll be out of your hair._

_Michael..._ He stormed off towards his room, grabbed his keys, and sent a text to Lindsay.

> **Michael Jones:** Will you come pick me up? SOS.
> 
> **Lindsay Tuggey:** Sure, on my way. 

Lindsay arrived a few minutes later and Michael stormed out the door with his backpack, keys, wallet, and a change of clothes. He couldn't stand to be around his mother lately, especially since she's pushing the option of Michael getting hearing aides on him so much.

He said nothing to her on the drive to her home, nothing once they actually arrived, and nothing once they were safely in her room. They both focused on homework while Michael stewed, and it was just before they both laid down to sleep when Lindsay finally asked what happened. 

_My mom happened, that's what._

* * *

 

Gavin laid on his bed in the dark and tossed and turned, unable to get to sleep because of nightmares and an unquiet mind. His glowing clock read 2:33 in the morning. He became too hot, and then too cold. He got up to pee, got a glass of water, started to read a few pages of his History book... nothing. He thought about playing a video game, but no one was online. He reached for his phone and pulled up Michael's name.

> **Gavin Free:** Hey, are you awake? 

The reply came just a moment after.

> **Michael Jones:** Yeah. Can't sleep?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** No, and I've tried. I even read a few pages of our History book and even that didn't help.
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Wow, the insomnia must be strong with you, then.
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Yeah.
> 
> **Michael Jones:** What's on your mind?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Lots of stuff, really. 
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Like?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** I've been thinking about trying to see another psychologist, to see if maybe they can help me talk again. I'm tired of being unable to tell my mother I love her, and I'm tired of being unable to defend myself from people who make fun of me, and act like I don't exist.
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Wow, where did all this come from, Gav?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** I've been thinking a lot about what you said this afternoon. Ever since I stopped talking, I've been thinking that something had to be broken inside me, and that it was the reason I lost friends and we had to move and it was the reason I've been unhappy. But, meeting you today... it's given me hope. Like you said, we aren't broken. We just require more care and love than others do.

There was a long break in between texts as Gavin waited for a reply. He could feel his eyes growing heavy as fatigue set in, but just as he began drifting off his phone chimed with Michael's response.

> **Michael Jones:** I guess we know what we're writing our story about now, huh?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Absolutely. See you tomorrow?
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Bright and early, Gav.

* * *

 

Weeks passed. Gavin saw a psychologist once a week, with little progress to show, though he was optimistic that one day he could speak again. The woman told him he just had a mental block, that once that was removed he could use his voice again. Michael, Lindsay, Kerry, and Miles were as encouraging as they could be. 

Michael's mom still kept up with Michael getting hearing aides, even going so far as to asking him,  _Wouldn't you like to be able to hear Gavin's voice once he starts talking again?_

Yes, yes he would like to, but he's been deaf for so long, he didn't know how he would react to  _hearing._ He didn't know how he would handle birds, traffic, even the sound of his own mother's voice, let alone Gavin's. 

Their story was coming along nicely, except for the fact that Michael had yet to write his part yet. Each time he would sit down to write, or type, and he would get stuck. He didn't know how to put into words what he's lived everyday for fourteen years of his life. It should be easy, effortless, and yet this was the most difficult thing he's had to do. He sighed and picked up his phone after feeling it vibrate on his desk.

> **Gavin Free:**  Michael... I did it. I spoke, kind of.
> 
> **Michael Jones:** YOU SPOKE? Gavin, I'm so proud of you!
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Well, kind of. My voice was kind of raspy and quiet, but I spoke. It felt... weird. 
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Well, that's better than nothing, right?
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Right. I don't know if I'll speak right away, but I'm going to try, Michael. You gave me hope, so I'm going to try for you. 
> 
> The butterflies in Michael's stomach chose that moment to go crazy and he smiled like an idiot at Gavin's text message. 
> 
> **Gavin Free:** Love you, Micoo. 
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Love you too, boi. 

* * *

 

It was nearing the end of the semester, and Michael still had yet to write a word of his story. Gavin became more confident in his speaking abilities, even speaking quietly to Lindsay in the car after school a few times, but Michael was still deaf, and it was times like this that he would give anything to be able to hear Gavin and Lindsay's voices.

With the prodding of Lindsay and Kerry, Michael asked Gavin out before Thanksgiving. 

_How do you even know he likes guys?_ he asked his friends stubbornly. 

_You should see the texts he sends me, asking all kinds of things about you, Michael. He likes you. Trust me on that one,_ Lindsay replied. She pushed the curly haired boy towards their lunch table where Gavin was already sitting down with his tray. Michael took a deep breath and clenched his hands to try and steady them as he walked towards him. He sat down next to Gavin and held up his hands.

_Will... will you... will..._

_Damn it, Jones,_ he thought to himself.  _Just do it!_

_Will I what, Michael?_ Gavin signed. At this point Gavin was increasingly proficient in signing, though he was nowhere near Lindsay's level just yet.

_Will you go out with me?_ he signed quickly, feeling his face flush red. The entire table stared at the two with grins on their faces as they waited for Gavin's answer. To Michael's surprise, his face lit up and he nodded quickly, throwing his arms around Michael in response. 

_It's about time, I was getting tired of the sexual tension,_ Miles teased before getting bombarded by French Fries and a slap on the back of the head by Lindsay. 

Now it was nearing Christmas break and Michael, after walking Gavin home, sat on the couch next to his mom.

_No guarantee I'm going to college like you want, mom,_ Michael warned when he saw the teary-eyed, hopeful look on his mom's face.

_Oh Michael, you know I love you, regardless if you can hear or not, right? I'm your mom, I just want what's best for you._

_I know, I know. So when are you going to make the appointment?_

_I'll go call them right now._ She kissed Michael on the forehead and skipped to the kitchen, grabbing her cell phone. Michael leaned back against the couch and sighed, picking up his phone.

> **Michael Jones:** I did it.
> 
> **My Boi <3: **Did what?
> 
> **Michael Jones:** My mom's making the appointment as we speak.
> 
> **My Boi <3: **Are you saying what I think you're saying??
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Yep. Soon, I'll be able to hear you tell me you love me, instead of you signing it or texting it to me.
> 
> **My Boi <3: **I mean it just as much no matter what medium I say it through, you know that right?
> 
> **Michael Jones:** I know, but it'll mean that much more when it comes from your voice.
> 
> **My Boi <3: **I think I'm shedding an emotional tear, Micoo.
> 
> **Michael Jones:** Shut the fuck up, idiot.
> 
> **My Boi <3: **<3 
> 
> **Michael Jones:** <3

* * *

 

It was the weekend before the final week, when they would be presenting their stories to the class, and Michael, his mother, and Gavin were at the doctor's office while Michael got fitted for his hearing aides. It was nervewrecking for Michael, and as the doctor explained all of the medical bullshit to his mother, Michael tried desperately to dig up a memory - any memory - of what sound was like, but he came up empty.

Gavin smiled at Michael from his seat, and Michael's nerves settled slightly, enough to where his hands weren't shaking as badly and his heart wasn't racing anymore. The doctor fitted the hearing aides in his ears and Michael waited, hearing nothing... and then slowly noises were being distinguished in the room. The sound of the air conditioner, the doctor's quiet breathing, the buzzing of the lights...

"Micoo?" a voice asked. Michael locked eyes with Gavin, whose voice he had just heard for the first time. 

"G...Gavin?" Michael whispered, cringing at the sound of his own voice. It was muffled, underdeveloped.  _Well, I won't be talking out loud for a while,_ he thought to himself. He heard a low sound coming from his mother and he realized she was crying. 

"My baby," she cried, standing up to pull him into a hug. Her voice was like tinkling glass, sharp and clear, with a smooth undertone to it. The doctor left the room to give them some alone time, and somewhere in between Michael crying and his mom crying even harder, Gavin was included in the group hug. He felt Gavin's hand cling to his own and give it a reassuring squeeze.

Everything was going to be alright. Michael Jones wasn't broken, just bruised, and with a little TLC, he would be alright again. 


End file.
